Bombs heavily damaged the prime minister's office and a police station Wednesday, killing at least 23 people and wounding about 160, the country's official news agency said. Al-Qaida's wing in North Africa claimed responsibility. Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem, who was unhurt, called the attack a "cowardly, criminal terrorist act" as he spoke to reporters outside his wrecked offices. The attacks were a devastating setback for the North African nation's efforts to close the chapter on its Islamic insurgency that has killed 200,000 people. After years of relative calm, the al-Qaida affiliate recently has recently waged several smaller attacks in the oil- and gas-rich nation. Belkhadem declined to say how many had been killed or wounded. The official APS agency said at least 23 people were killed and 160 wounded in the two attacks, but gave no breakdown. The other bombing targeted the police station of Bab Ezzouar, east of the capital, Algiers, on the road to its airport. ... http://abcnews.go.com

South Korea — U.S. envoys made a rare crossing Wednesday of the border dividing the two Koreas with the remains of six American soldiers from the Korean War, completing a mission where they pushed for action on North Korea 's nuclear disarmament.New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi were greeted at the frontier between North and South by U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow and U.S. military officials.Richardson spent four days in North Korea, also joined by the top White House adviser on Korea, Victor Cha. "Hopefully, we've done our bit to relieve the tension between our two countries," Richardson said after crossing the border, referring to the U.S. and the North.While in the North, the delegation met with officials to press Pyongyang to meet a Saturday deadline to shut down its sole operating nuclear reactor under a February agreement with the U.S. and other regional powers....http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,265186,00.html

Three U.S. soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, and another was killed in combat in Anbar province, the military said Tuesday.The three were killed by a roadside bomb and a secondary explosion near their patrol in southeast Baghdad, the military said in a statement. Another soldier was wounded in the explosions, which took place Monday, the statement said.The unit had been conducting raids against militants in the area, and had recently captured five suspects, it said.Another U.S. soldier was killed the same day while conducting combat operations in Iraq's western Anbar province, another statement said.The soldiers' names were withheld pending family notification....http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/04/10/ap3596327.html

The commander and senior enlisted Marine of the Corps’ first special operations company have been relieved of duty, according to officials with Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.The firings occurred April 3, one month after members of the company allegedly killed eight civilians after a Marine convoy was ambushed by a car bomb in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. A senior U.S. commander pulled the company out of Afghanistan days after the alleged incident, pending an investigation. “[The two Marines] are being redeployed back to Camp Lejeune,” said Gunnery Sgt. Michael Turner, a spokesman for the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based MarSOC. MarSOC is not releasing names of the company’s leaders. The companies are commanded by majors. According to information posted on MarSOC’s official Web site, the decision to relieve the leaders was made by Lt. Col. Paul Montanus, commander of 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, in consultation with MarSOC commander Maj. Gen. Dennis Hejlik....http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/04/marine_specops_relief070410/

Same-sex couples would get rights such as hospital visitation and inheritance under a bill passed by the Washington Legislature to create domestic partnerships. The bill, which won final passage in the House Tuesday on a 63-35 vote, moves on to Gov. Chris Gregoire, who is expected to sign it. The bill would create a domestic partnership registry with the state, and would establish rights for same-sex couples including the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations and inheritance rights when there is no will. To be registered, couples would have to share a home, not be married or in a domestic relationship with someone else, and be at least 18. Proponents admit that ultimately marriage is their goal, but said that they don't want to rush the state into taking that step. ...http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3028555

U.S. and Iraqi forces backed by attack helicopters fought gunmen in Baghdad on Tuesday, witnesses said, in the heaviest battle in the capital since a major security crackdown was launched in February. Police said a total of 10 people had been killed and 13 wounded in the fighting. Gunmen hit two helicopters with ground fire but both returned to base, the U.S. military said. Northeast of Baghdad, a female suicide bomber strapped with explosives under an Islamic gown killed 17 recruits outside a police station in the town of Muqdadiya, police officials said. Two witnesses including a local journalist said Apache attack helicopters hovering low over the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Fadhil in Baghdad repeatedly fired rockets at buildings where gunmen had holed up. The witnesses said they saw several bodies lying in a street, with residents too afraid to move them. Other bodies had been moved to a local mosque, said the local journalist, Abu Omar, who is a resident of Fadhil....http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldnews&storyID=2007-04-10T170953Z_01_PAR340730_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ.xml